Summary
Last Updated on September 5, 2023, by eNotes Editorial. Word Count: 164
The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien, is a work in five parts that serves as a mythological creation story and history of the Middle Earth, the fictional universe created by Tolkien that served as a setting for both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The first part of the Simarillion, the Ainulindalë, is the creation myth. It describes the creation of Ea through a series of battles that take place between the forces of good and evil. The second part, the Valaquenta, describes the Valar, or the creator gods. The third part, the Quenta Silmarillion, consists of a number of stories that describe historical events that took place during the First Age of Tolkien’s Middle Earth. The fourth part tells the history of the Second Age, and the fifth part tells about the Third Age and the power of the rings. Interestingly, Tolkien continued to expand on The Silmarillion as he wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
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